Monday, July 17, 2017

Not since 2010 has the garden been graced
with so many dragonflies and this is indeed their year. Twenty years ago they
appeared in great numbers in late afternoon, gracefully hovering in a suspended
dance above the meadow. This year they appear in mass by mid-morning and in a
stunning array of brilliant colors. Dragonflies are located worldwide and have
more than 5,000 described species, 450 of which reside in North America, with
Texas alone home to 225 species. Considerably downsized now, a fossilized
dragonfly from 250 million years ago had a wingspan of 28 inches!

Adult Dragonflies are lovely and graceful, with a sweet head that turns to look
at you quizzically with magical eyes. Often brightly colored they have two pair
of long, slender, transparent, and highly veined wings. The wings do not fold
but are held permanently outstretched even when at rest. Adult dragonflies are
usually found near water with a territory which may range several miles. Many
males are intensely protective, defending their domain from other males, which
may explain sudden aeronautical chases exhibiting extraordinary maneuverability.

A truly beneficial insect from infancy to maturity, dragonflies eat mosquitoes.
The immature dragonfly is called a nymphs (or naiads). Nymphs are entirely
aquatic and are found on submerged vegetation and the bottom of ponds and
marshes where they capture and eat mosquito larvae. The adults seen above the
meadows are capturing adult mosquitoes while in flight.

As with all interesting insects, there are many folk tales surrounding the dragonfly.
Perhaps due to their unusual and multifaceted eyes, in Norway and Sweden they
were said to be sinister works of the Devil. Conversely the Pueblo tribes have
endowed them with significant importance. They are said to represent swiftness
and activity and to the Navajo pure water. Dragonflies are a common motif in
Zuni pottery, Hopi rock art and they appear on many Pueblo necklaces. In Japan
they are a symbol of late summer and early autumn and also represent courage,
strength, and happiness. They often appear in art, literature, and on Japanese
pottery.

For the third year I have a gorgeous Dragonfly who has taken up residence in my
privet, near the step down to the lower level. A vivid blue with dark black wings which fold as he rests,
he seems to like me… he posed for the picture before gently flittering to
another branch.

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Watermelon is thought to have
originated in the Kalahari Desert of Africa and its popularity is partially due
to the flavor and the amount of water it contains... it is 92-94% water, thus
the name. Much of the epic history of the watermelon has been researched by Harry Paris, a
horticulturalist at the Agricultural Research Organization in Israel, who has
spent years assembling clues including ancient Hebrew texts, artifacts in
Egyptian tombs, and medieval illustrations…. archaeologists discovered watermelon
seeds, along with the remnants of other fruits, at a 5,000-year-old settlement
in Libya. From Africa watermelons spread throughout countries along the
Mediterranean Sea by way of merchant ships where they were stored to be used as
a portable canteen for fresh water on journeys.

The first recorded watermelon harvest
occurred nearly 5,000 years ago in Egypt and is depicted in Egyptian
hieroglyphics on walls of their ancient buildings. Watermelons were often
placed in the burial tombs of kings to nourish them in the afterlife... one was
discovered in King Tut’s tomb. Pliny the elder, our favorite Greek historian,
mentioned them as a refrigerant maxime, an extremely cooling food, in his first
century encyclopedia, Historia
Naturalis.

By the 10th century, watermelon found
its way to China, which is now the world's number one producer of watermelons.
By the 13th century, they were known throughout Europe. Southern
food historian, John Egerton, believes watermelon made its way to the United
States with African slaves as he states in his book, "Southern Food."

About 200-300 varieties are grown in
the U.S. and Mexico, although there are about 50 varieties that are very
popular. In selecting a watermelon, choose one that is heavy for its size and
free of bruises with a yellow underside indicating it was vine ripened.

For a moment of inspiration is must be
noted that watermelons are being reintroduced to sub-Sahara Africa as a source
of water for those in drought stricken areas. It is indeed a miracle plant!